Pivoted oil well mast and method of erecting it



June 13, 1961 H. J. wooLsLAYER ETAL 2,988,179

PIVOTED OIL WELL MAST AND METHOD OF ERECTING IT Filed May 19, 195e 5 sheets-sheet 1 MMMLM June 13, 1961 I H.J.woo| s1 AYER ETAL 2,988,179

PIvoTED on. WELL MAST AND METHOD oF ERECTING 1T Filed May 19, 1958 3 sheets-sheet 2 INV ENTORS Hanf@ J. WOOLJLH YER, CECI/ JENKINS,

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June 13, 1961 H, J, WOOLSLAYER ETAL 2,988,179

PIVOTED OIL WELL MAST AND METHOD OF ERECTING IT Filed May 19, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INV ENTORS Home? J. Woo/.61.57 rea Caen. JENKINS.

tr "r States This invention relates to portable oil weil drilling masts, and more particularly to the erection of masts pivoted to a support.

Portable masts for oil well drilling are commonly erected by swinging them up from a horizontal position, in which they recline backward over the drawworks or forward away from the drawworks on a substructure. There are several advantages in reclining the mast back over the drawworks, including a shonter actual mast length for a given height because the foot of the mast is pivoted at an elevation above the drawworks. Also, in such cases the open front of the mast faces up, which permits the traveling block to rise out of the mast to raise it, with resulting improved purchase for swinging the mast upward. Since the weight of the drilling rig is used to counterbalance the weight of the mast during erection, -this arrangement generally provides better stability. On the other hand, a disadvantage of reclining the mast over the drawworks has been the diiiiculty in assembling the prefabricated sections of the masts at such a high elevation, which may be as much as 18 or 20 feet above the ground.

It is among the objects of this invention to provide oil well drilling equipment, in which the mast can be assembled at a convenient height behind the substructure and then raised to a higher elevation above it, in which the drawworks is not installed on the substructure until after the reclining mast has been raised tothe higher elevation to make room beneath it for the drawworks, and in which the drawworks is used both before and after it is installed on the substructure for rst raising the reclining mast and then swinging it up to upright position. A further object is to provide an improved method of erecting a drilling mast.

in accordance with this invention, a reclining mast is assembled at a convenient height above the ground, either in back of a substructure with its foot disposed above the substructure or in another location and then moved into that position. Means are provided for then moving the mast forward a predetermined distance across the substructure. This preferably includes the drawworks, ternporarily positioned nearthe mast behind the substructure. Means are mounted on the substructure for `raising y the entire reclining mast to a higher level as it is moved forward. The elevated foot of the mast then is pivotally connected to supportingmeans, preferabiya gin pole.

`The mast then can be swung forward and upward on the lfrom its `lower to its upperreclining position -is-accm plished bymeans of lifting members pivotally connected to the substructure and-to the mast. These members normally are inclined downward and forward from the mast. When they are swung upward,` as .the mast is moved forward, they `lift the mast.

'The preferred embodiment Vof the invention i is illustrated` inthe accompanying drawings; `in which `FIG. 1 is aside -view .of our well drilling equipment,

with :the `reclining mast lready to be raised;

atent A FlG. 2 is a `side View showing the mast after it has been raised to its elevated reclining position;

FIG. 3 is a side view showing the mast being swung up to upright position;

FIG. 4 is a view of the front end of the equipment as seen in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a vertical section taken on the line V--V of FIG. 2, and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged detail of a connection between the erect mast and a gin pole leg.

Referring to FIG. l of the drawings, :a substructure 1 for an oil -well drilling mast 2 is provided near its front end with-a pair of laterally spaced shoes 3, and with another pair of shoes 4 farther back. Pivotally mounted in theback shoes are the lower ends of the back legs 5 of a folded reclining gin pole that projects forward from the front of the substructure. .Tonrnaled at the front or upper end of the reclining gin pole is a pair of laterally spaced sheaves 6. The front legs 7 of the gin pole lie beneath the back legs. The reclining mast extends rearwardly away from the substructure and supports a crown block at its rear end, which is the head of the mast. The head may be supported temporarily over the wheels 9 of a truck (not shown) that has backed the mast into position after it has been assembled along the ground or a short distance above it. The bifurcated front end portion or foot of the mast was likewise supported on wheels before it was skidded yup the back of the substructureinto the position shown, in which it projects forward `part way over the substructure in the area that normally would be occupied by the power unit.

lt is a feature of this invention that the portion of `the ymast adjacent the substructure is supported by lifting means, preferably in the form of front and rear lifting members pivoted to the mast and substructure. The front member may be `a pair of laterally spaced links 11. pivotally mounted at `one end on sleeves l?. welded in thev feet of the mastnas shown in FIG. 6. These links are inclined downward and forward to the substructure a short distance behind the frontshoes, where the links are de- Itachably pivotedto the substructure at 13.. The back lifting member may consist of a pair of laterally spaced structs 14, `also seen in FIG. 5, having ytheir lower ends pivotally connected to the back of the substructure near itsu bottom at 15. lThe struts are inclined upward and backward andV have their bfurcated upper ends detach- `ably connected to the lower legs of the mast by means of pivot pins 16. Thestruts are more or less parallel to thelinks.

The opposite ends of a cable forming a sling 18 are secured to the heel of the mast, and the sling then extends for-ward and up around the gin pole sheaves 6 and then back toward the mast, where it is connected toa traveling block 19. `The block is connected to the crown- Iblock in the usual way by a line 20 received around them, and the free end of the line from the crownblock is secured to drawworks 21 forming part of the power unit on a trailer 22 that is located temporarily beside the reclining mast in a position behind struts 14. When the drawworks is operated to wind the line onto its drum, the traveling blockis pulled by the line toward the crownblock as the former rises out of the open mast. This causes the sling to swing `the gin pole upward. When the traveling block and sling reach the dotted line position shown in FIG. l, the lower ends of the front legs of the gin pole are secured to the front shoes. The gin pole is then a rigid erect structure.

As soon as the gin pole has been erected in this manner, the drawworks` is operated again and, since the :gin pole no longer can move, the mast is pulled forward by the line 20 and sling attached to it. However, the pivoted lifting `rnemberswill not allow `the mast to move straight forward.

As the lifting members are swung forward by the mast, they will compel the reclining mast to rise to a higher elevation, shown in FiG. 2, as the opposite sides of the bifurcated lower portion of the mast move across the gin pole. The raised struts 14 are then connected by pins 23 to the rear end of the upper part of the substructure. At that time the feet of the mast will be located beside the front legs of the gin pole, to which they are detachably pivoted by pins 24 as shown in FIG. 6. It will be seen that the lower portion of each front leg of the gin pole is offset outwardly relative to its upper portion, and that the connection between the foot of the mast and the gin pole is at the upper end of the lower portion of the gin pole leg.

The next step is to move the power unit onto the substructure in the space made room for it by the raised mast. Before this is done, it is preferred to disconnect line 20 from the drawworks and carry it forward over the substructure and around a snatch block 26 that is fastened temporarily to the substructure, as shown in FIG. 3. If the substructure is too high to permit the drawworks to be skidded onto it directly from the trailer, the trailer can be backed up ramps 27 placed behind the substructure in order to raise the trailer bed to the level of the top of the substructure. The power unit then is moved onto the substructure beneath the reclining mast and again attached to the line leading to the crownblock. By reattaching the line to the drawworks before it is moved onto the substructure, the line can be used to help skid the power unit into place by operating the drawworks to pull on the line.

After the power unit has been anchored in place on the substructure, the upper ends of struts 14 are unpinned from the mast and then the `drawworks is operated to reel in the line again. This will cause the traveling block to pull on the sling and thereby swing the mast upward on its pivoted feet, as shown in FiG. 3, until it reaches the upright position shown in dotted lines. The mast is then fastened in any suitable manner to the top of the gin pole which, with the substantially vertical links 11 below the mast, supports the mast in drilling position.

With the oil well drilling equipment disclosed herein, the advantage of locating the reclining mast behind the substructure can be obtained without requiring the mast to be assembled at a high elevation. Also, the foot of the mast can be supported in an elevated position by the front legs of the gin pole. The drawworks furnishes all of the power required for lifting the mast into upright position.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, we have explained the principle of our invention and have illustrated and described what we now consider to represent its best embodiment. However, we desire to have it understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specically illustrated and described.

We claim:

l. Oil well drilling equipment comprising a substructure having front and rear ends and a hoisting machinery .supporting area spaced from the front end, a reclining mast having a foot at its front end disposed above the substructure with the mast extending rearwardly away from it across said area, means for moving the mast forward a predetermined distance across the substructure, means f mounted on the substructure for raising the entire reclining mast to a higher level as it is moved forward, said v level being high enough to create room beneath the mast for accommodating hoisting machinery on said substructure area, means in front of said area for pivotally supporting the foot of the mast at said higher level, means for positioning hoisting machinery on said supporting area of the substructure, the mast being adapted to be swung forward and upward on said supporting means, and means for holding the mast in upright position.

2. Oil well drilling equipment comprising a substructure having front and rear ends and a hoisting machinery l supporting area spaced from the front end, a reclining mast having a foot at its front end disposed above the substructure with the mast extending rearwardly away from it across said area, means for moving the mast forward a predetermined distance across the substructure, means mounted on the substructure for raising the entire reclining mast to a substantially horizontal position at a higher level as it is moved forward, said level being high enough to create room beneath the mast for accommodating hoisting machinery on said substructure area, a gin pole mounted on the substructure, means for detachably pivoting the foot of the raised mast to the gin pole several feet above the substructure in front of its hoisting machinery supporting area, means for positioning hoisting machinery on said supporting area of the substructure, the mast being adapted to be swung `forward and upward on the gin pole, and means for detachably connecting the mast to the gin pole in upright position.

3. Oil well drilling equipment comprising a substructure having front and rear ends and a hoisting machinery supporting area spaced from the front end, a reclining mast having a foot at its front end disposed above the substructure with the mast extending rearwardly away from it, across said area, means for moving the mast forward a predetermined distance across the substructure, front and rear lifting members pivotally connected to the substructure at longitudinally spaced points thereon and inclined backward and upward therefrom, detachable means pivotally connecting said members to the mast `foot and to the mast behind the substructure, said members being adapted to lift the entire reclining mast to a higher level as it is moved forward, said level being high enough to create room beneath the mast for accommodating hoisting machinery on said substructure area, means in front of said area for supporting the mast at said higher level, means for positioning hoisting machinery on said supporting area of the substructure, the raised mast being disconnectable from the rear lifting member and adapted to be swung forward and upward on said supporting means, and means for holding the mast in upright position.

4. Oil well drilling equipment comprising a substructure having front and rear ends and a hoisting machinery supporting area spaced from the front end, a reclining mast having a foot at its front end disposed above the substructure with the mast extending rearwardly away from it across said area, means for moving the mast forward a predetermined distance across the substructure, front and rear lifting members pivotally connected to the substructure at longitudinally spaced points thereon and inclined backward and upward therefrom, detachable means pivotally connecting said members to the mast foot and to the mast behind the substructure, said members being adapted to lift the entire reclining mast to a higher level as it is moved forward, said level being high enough to create room beneath the mast for accommodating hoisting machinery on said substructure area, a gin pole having front legs mounted on the substructure in front of said hoisting machinery supporting area, means for detachably pivoting the foot of the raised mast to the gin pole several feet above the lower ends of said front legs, means for positioning hoisting machinery on said supporting area of the substructure, the raised mast being disconnectable from the rear lifting member and adapted to be swung forward and upward on the gin pole, and means for detachably connecting the mast to the -gn pole in upright position.

5. Oil well drilling equipment according to claim 4, in which the front lifting member is substantially vertical when the mast is in upright position, whereby to help support the mast.

6. Oil well drilling equipment comprising a substructure having front and rear ends and a hoisting machinery supporting area spaced from the front end, a reclining mast having a foot at its front end disposed above the substructure with the mast extending rearwardly away from it across said area, a gin pole mounted on the substructure,

a sheave at the top of the gin pole, a sling line connected at one end to the mast and extending up around the front of the sheave and then back toward the mast, means including hoisting machinery disposed behind the substructure for pulling on the opposite end of the sling line, means mounted on the substructure for raising the entire reclining mast to a higher level and moving it lforward as the sling line is pulled, said level being high enough to create room beneath the mast for hoisting machinery on said substructure area, means for transferring said hoisting machinery from its position behind the substructure to a position on said supporting area of the substructure, means for pivotally supporting the foot of the mast at said higher level, continued pulling on the sling line serving to swing the mast forward and upward on said supporting means, and means for holding the mast in upright position.

7. Oil well drilling equipment comprising a substructure having front and rear ends and a hoisting machinery supporting area spaced from the front end, a reclining mast having front feet disposed above the substructure with the mast extending rearwardly therefrom across said area, links detachably pivoted to said feet and inclined downward and forward therefrom, means pivotally connecting the lower ends of the links to the substructure, a strut pivoted to the back part of the substructure and inclined upward and backward therefrom, means detachably pivoting the upper end of the strut to the reclining mast, means including hoisting machinery behind the substructure for moving the mast forward to thereby cause said links and str-ut to swing upward and raise the reclining mast to a higher level to create room beneath the mast for accommodating hoisting machinery on said substructure area, a gin pole having front legs mounted on the substructure in front of said hoisting machinery receiving area, means for detachably pivoting the feet of the raised mast to the gin pole legs, means for transferring said hoisting machinery from its position behind the substructure to a position on said supporting area of the substructure, said hoisting machinery positioned on said substructure being adapted to swing the mast forward and upward to upright position after said strut has been disconnected from it, and means `for detachably connecting the upright mast to the gin pole to hold the mast upright.

8. Oil well drilling equipment comprising a substructure having front and rear ends, hoisting machinery mounted on the rear portion of the substructure, a gin pole mounted on the substructure and extending in front of said machinery, an upright mast detachably connected to the gin pole and having a foot pivotally supported by the gin pole several feet above the substructure, a lifting member pivotally and detachably connected to said foot and extending down to the substructure, mean pivotally connecting the lower end of the lifting member to the substructure, means operatively connecting the hoisting machinery with the mast for swinging the mast on its pivoted foot backward and downward to a reclining position above said machinery, a lifting member spaced from the upright mast and pivotally connected at its lower end to the back part of the substructure and extending upward to receive and support the mast in reclining position, and means adapted to pivotally detachably connect the upper end of the rear lifting member to the reclining mast, the mast being adapted to be moved backward with the upper ends of the lifting members following removal of the hoisting machinery from the substructure and after being disconnected from the gin pole, whereby said lifting members will swing down and lower the entire reclining mast to a lower level.

9. In the method of erecting on a substructure that supports a gin pole an oil well drilling mast provided with a traveling block and a crownblock connected by a line, the steps comprising placing the mast in reclining position behind the substructure with the foot of the mast disposed above the substructure, operatively connecting the traveling block with the top of the gin pole, locating drawworks adjacent the mast behind the substructure and connecting said line with the drawworks, operating the drawworks to pull on said line to shorten it between the crownblock and travelng block and thereby move the mast forward a predetermined distance across the substructure, exerting an upward force on the mast simultaneously vn'th said forward movement to raise the entire mast to a higher level, pivotally connecting the foot of the raised reclining mast to the gin pole at said higher level, moving the drawworks onto the substructure beneath the raised reclining mast, operating the drawworks to swing the mast on the gin pole upward to upright position, and then fastening the upright mast to the gin pole.

10. Oil well drilling equipment comprising a substructure having front and rear ends and a hoisting machinery supporting area spaced from the front end, a reclining mast having a foot at its front end `disposed above the substructure with the mast extending rearwardly away from it across said area, means for moving the mast forward a predetermined distance across the substructure, means mounted on the substructure for raising the entire reclining mast to a substantially horizontal position at a higher level as it is moved forward, said level being high enough to create room beneath the mast for accommodating hoisting machinery on said substructure area, means lfor positioning hoisting machinery on said supporting area of the substructure, a gin pole mounted on the substructure and having a pair of laterally spaced front legs, each of said legs being formed from two sections laterally overlapping each other several feet above the substructure, means mounted on top of the upper ends of the lower sections of said legs for detachably pivoting the foot of the raised reclining mast to the gin pole, means including said hoisting machinery on said substructure area to swing said mast forward and upward on the gin pole, and means for detachably connecting the mast to the gin pole in upright position standing on said lower sections of the gin pole.

1l. In the method of erecting on a substructure that supports a gin pole an oil well drilling mast provided with a traveling block and a crownblock connected by a line, the steps comprising placing the mast in reclining position behind the substructure with the foot of the mast disposed above the substructure, operatively connecting the traveling block with the top of the gin pole, locating drawworks adjacent the mast behind the substructureI and connecting said line with the drawworks, operating the drawworks to pull on said line to shorten it between the crownblock and traveling block and thereby move the mast forward a predetermined distance across the substructure, exerting an upward thrust against the mast at its front end and at a point rearwardly thereof as the mast is moved forward to raise the entire mast to a higher level, pivotally connecting the foot of the raised reclining mast to the front of the gin pole at said higher level, moving the drawworks onto the substructure beneath the raised reclining mast, operating the drawworks to swing the mast on the gin pole upward to upright position, and then faste-ning the upright mast to the gin pole.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 497,952 Davis May 23, 1893 2,664,976 Woolslayer Ian. 5, 1954 2,695,081 Woolslayer et al Nov. 23, 1954 

